


Strange Brothers

by kittyface27



Series: Dragon Works [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL, ASL Brothers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Love, Dragons, Fantasy, Freedom, Friendship, Gen, Mystery, Sabo's family sucks, Trapped, a little similar to canon, angst for Sabo, cuteness, stelly is a dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23635354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: When the miserable noble Sabo meets two strange boys, he develops a friendship he never thought he'd have. But they act strange. Sabo wondered why, but didn't ask. They were soon his brothers, their strangeness wouldn't change that. When Sabo finds out why, will he stay with them, or shun them?
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo
Series: Dragon Works [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982363
Comments: 8
Kudos: 120





	Strange Brothers

**Hi, hi, hi! Here with another story, a long one-shot. I've never done a story from only Sabo's POV, so it's something new. Stay safe, everyone! Enjoy~**

* * *

Sabo sat at his desk, looking out the window in his room. He hated his room, his house, his city. He wished he could run away, and he would, if it weren't for the forest being swarmed with dragons. He could barely see over the wall that divided the city from the dragons. Sabo was jealous of them, all so free to go wherever they wish to go.

A knock was on the door, and he turned around to see his adopted brother, Stelly. Sabo hated him with a passion. Sabo glared at him, silently telling him to get out of his stuffy and not homey bedroom. All it had was a bed, boring books, and a desk. Nothing there that expressed who Sabo was or wanted to be.

"What do you want?" Sabo asked sourly. Stelly was a jackass, rubbing it in that he was the favorite. But Sabo didn't care if his parents liked him. He already hated them, too, just by how they raised him. Cruel and unloving. Where did Sabo even get the expectation that parents were supposed to love their children? He wished he hadn't, and was fine with the coldness and cruelty his parents showed towards him..

Stelly smirked. "Mother has told the servants to make my favorite food tonight. The food you hate. Mother doesn't care about what you want," Stelly said obnoxiously. Sabo sighed. He was used to Stelly's taunting. While it was annoying, it was nothing even remotely new. Stelly took every opportunity to try and goad Sabo into getting angry and then punished for said anger.

"Yeah, yeah. Get out, I'm busy," Sabo said dismissively, before going back to staring out of the window at the darkening sky. Another day was ending of doing nothing but studying things he had no interest in. He didn't want to be a noble, but there was nowhere else to go. Even though he hated it here, he would never enter the dragon's forest. It was a death sentence. Many times, unhappy people left Goa to their deaths.

They never returned once they snuck out of the only gap in the wall just big enough for people to fit through if they weren't too fat. Going into the forest was for the desperate. No one was stupid enough to brave it and walk to their deaths without meaning to. Sabo sighed, wishing he was a dragon, or at least had their freedom.

"Busy looking out the window?" Stelly taunted.

"Yup," Sabo replied in a flat and bored voice. Stelly made a haughty noise and left the room, not closing the door. Dinner would be ready soon, and they would ask how his studying had been. He'd tell them he worked hard, but that alone would never make him get respect from them. It was an hour later that the dinner bell rang, and Sabo closed the book he hadn't read for a good two hours, and left his window to go and eat.

That night, Sabo was asleep in his bed when the emergency alarm started blaring around the city, loud and impossible to ignore or not hear. Sabo sat up quickly, covering his ears and running to the window to close it, not that it made much of a difference. He knew what the alarm was. A dragon had made its way into the city. All around his home, slamming windows were heard with the metal plating being pulled in to protect the houses from the windows breaking.

A dragon could easily destroy any building, so covering the windows was just to falsely comfort the humans. Sabo ran down the stairs and to the basement, which was made in every noble's home in case any dragons got too violent.

When Sabo was seven, he'd seen two of the dragons fighting on the wall, knocking humans off of it where they fell to their deaths. Sometimes it seemed like they got over the wall on accident, but it was a regular occurence. Luckily, the dragons rarely entered high town. They mostly wreaked havoc in edge town.

Stelly was crying, while Sabo was listening as best as he could, listening if he could hear any of the dragons. When the windows were open at night, roars sometimes echoed throughout the island. The sounds of trees falling were also heard, but not as clearly as the dragon's themselves. Mother was comforting Stelly, while Sabo sat against the door. Father was sitting down, cursing the dragons for daring to bother them.

Sabo jolted when the sound of a building being crushed nearby was heard. Stelly silenced immediately, and Mother and Father didn't make a sound. Roars were so close, multiple roars. There was more than one that had made it this far into town. Sabo was frightened now, too. Mother was crying silently while Father looked fearful, something he did his best never to show in front of anyone.

But, the sounds of roaring stopped, and instead a deafening flapping noise was heard. The alarm turned off, and the all clear bell was heard. The nobles and Sabo all let out a relieved sigh before Father began cursing about them again, as if he hadn't stopped. Sabo went back to his room without a word to his family and Stelly.

He opened up the shudders and reopened the window. The dragons were gone, but the house across the street a ways had a collapsed roof. It wasn't too bad, but the building had definitely been a perch for a massive dragon. Sabo was amazed by their strength and size. He wished he could have watched safely, but dragons were often volatile when seeing humans, which was why no one went out to deal with them.

Instead, they waited for them to leave on their own, no matter how long that takes. Making them angry would cause things to be worse. Humans were at the mercy of dragons. Always had been and probably always would be. Sabo went back to bed, still hearing the alarm in his head, before he fell back to sleep. No dragons came again, and Goa was back to being as safe as it had been before.

-x-

The next day, Sabo was out on his own, wanting to get some ramen. His parents were too busy introducing Stelly to other nobles he hadn't met yet. Some of the nobles who had children would try and become friends with him, probably.

Sabo knew he wouldn't get along with them. He was too different from them. They didn't like Sabo and he didn't like them. He'd never met another kid his age that was likable to him. Acceptable to be a friend. It was strange that all of the shitty kids were ugly looking, and Sabo felt he looked relatively normal.

He was almost at the restaurant when he pulled out the ugly crest. He didn't have any money, so he used this in the town center. There weren't many kids here, as it was actually the elderly that were mostly in Goa Kingdom. Sabo had no friends to choose from.

He reached the ramen shop to see two boys with black hair fighting with the ramen shop owner. They were both wearing slightly tattered clothes and barefoot, which was too much for the shop owner to deal with apparently. "We have money! Take the money and give us food, bastard!" the older, freckled kid shouted. He looked to be Sabo's age, when the other one was younger.

"Not with you looking like that! Your kind are not welcome!" The older boy looked like he was about to punch the shop owner while the younger picked his nose, becoming disinterested. Sabo laughed at them.

"They can come in with me," Sabo said, going out on a limb. He held up the crest, and that got all three of them inside. The kids looked at him suspiciously, but thanked him. They went to the nice room, but the freckled, black haired kid looked wary. The younger was grinning, no longer picking his nose.

They sat down, silent, before Ace asked why he had helped them. The waitress had gone to get their orders, and the unfamiliar boys had ordered what Sabo had. "Cause you're the only kids I've met that don't look like they have a stick shoved up their ass," Sabo answered honestly. "I'm Sabo."

The other two started laughing, and the tense atmosphere was gone just like that. "I'm Ace, this is Luffy. So, you're a noble, huh? Don't really seem like one," Ace said, looking Sabo up and down. Sabo rubbed the back of his head.

"Probably cause I don't like being one. It's suffocating," he replied honestly. He was glad they didn't think he was like a noble child. Maybe it was because he didn't look like one. Then again, most nobles wouldn't pay for unknown, unclean kids. They both had dirt on them, like they were from the dirtiest parts of edge town. They couldn't have come from outside the wall, since they were both alive.

The ramen came in and Sabo was interested to see the other two ate like he did. Well, when he wasn't with other nobles. They all inhaled the food like they were starving animals. And had five more servings each. By the end, the three were laughing and having a great time. Sabo couldn't believe he'd found nice kids, though they wouldn't tell him their ages. Sabo had to guess, and assumed Ace was his age based on height, while Luffy was maybe six or seven. They were each stuffed by the time they left. Luffy said a couple times he was going to throw up, but he didn't.

"Thanks for paying for us. It's stupid, we had money," Ace said, and held a fistful of crumpled bills. It wouldn't have been enough to pay for their servings in the first place, but he didn't say that.

"The guy is mean, but his food is yummy," Luffy said before he let out a huge burp that Ace laughed at. Sabo almost laughed at the face he imagined his mother making. He might not be able to rebel, but just hanging out with these boys was rebelling enough. And he enjoyed hanging out with them.

They headed to the park in the town center, and Sabo tried to learn more about them. And they were not open with him. Not like he was with them. He told them about his family and life. He felt they were safe to tell his internal problems to. When he asked where they were from, the most Ace gave was, "Not anywhere like where you live." So Sabo assumed they lived in edge town and didn't want to say, though Sabo wouldn't look down at them for that.

They sat on the grass for a long time, joking, and then Luffy asked to play tag. They did, which attracted attention. Ace and Luffy were violent with tag, punching each other instead of tapping. Then they both got in a fight, rolling around on the grass angrily. Sabo watched in amusement and a bit of shock. They were _so_ different than anyone he'd ever met before.

After their fight lost steam, they started laughing and pointing at one another's bleeding noses. When the sun started to set, Sabo sadly said he had to go home for dinner. "Can… can I see you guys again?" he asked nervously. He would be so sad and disappointed if they said no. Sabo wanted to be their friend.

"Aren't we friends now?" Luffy asked with a blank stare, which Ace mirrored. Sabo beamed and nodded.

"How about we meet up here tomorrow?" Ace offered, Luffy nodding his head. Sabo wondered if he'd get away with that. Probably not, he'd get in trouble. But he wanted to see Ace and Luffy again.

Sabo looked regretful, and felt regretful, when he had to decline. "My parents would get suspicious. How about the day _after_ tomorrow?" Sabo offered. Luffy pouted, sticking out his lower lip. Ace bopped his head with his fist.

"Sure. That's fine. What time?" Ace asked, and Sabo grinned, glad they weren't upset or offended, but why would they be? They weren't stuck up nobles who almost always got what they wanted and were furious when they didn't. Sabo said at sunrise, so he could leave early and they could meet up.

Sabo watched them leave, heading towards edge town, confirming Sabo's thoughts. He went back to his house happier than he'd been in a very long time. He was smiling the whole time, and even Stelly didn't get on his nerves. Sabo actually laughed at how he imagined Ace would react if he was disrespected by Stelly. Ace would probably beat the crap out of him. Sabo would so enjoy seeing him with a broken nose.

Dinner was not unenjoyable because Sabo was still happy. "Where were you today?" Mother asked in a suspicious voice.

"I went shopping for a new encyclopedia, but then got distracted and stayed at the park for a bit," he said. It was true, he'd bought a new encyclopedia just so he had a reason that he left. He would never tell them of his time with his first friends. His parents bought it, but Stelly did not. After all, Sabo was happy. That was rare. And Stelly was unable to dampen his mood, even after taunting him before bed.

Sabo was happy to go to bed, looking forward to seeing Ace and Luffy again when he heard a tapping on his window. He assumed it was a bird and it would go away before banging was heard against the glass. Sabo shot up and ran to open the curtains, seeing his new friends looking at him from the _roof._ This was the second floor! How had they even gotten into high town? There were usually guards at the wall separating the areas of the city.

Sabo pulled the windows open and Ace and Luffy jumped in. Sabo was baffled, and looked outside the window to see if anyone had seen. It was late, so no one was out. "How did you get here?!" Sabo hissed, though he wasn't unhappy they were there. He did hurry to his door and lock it, though.

Luffy said, "The roof," simply. Ace nodded, like it was a satisfactory answer. Sabo didn't snap, but looked confused. He asked how they'd made it into high town, since there was a wall separating the section from the rest of the kingdom.

"We climbed the wall," Ace said bluntly. "Luffy wanted to see you again, and we had nothing else to do."

Sabo almost cried at that, that anyone cared enough to see him when putting their lives on the line. He had no idea how they climbed the wall, but didn't ask. It didn't matter, they came to see him. Though he was painfully curious, he was just glad they cared. Luffy ran around the room, inspecting everything, like he'd never seen books before. Sabo didn't care that he was looking at everything, and Ace didn't scold him.

"So, this is your fancy house? Seems kind of boring to me," Ace said. And he was right, there was not much in his bedroom. Luffy started jumping on the bed, barefoot. Ace was barefoot as well. Well, that would be easiest to climb with.

"Yeah, this is my room," Sabo said. Luffy asked if he had any games. Sabo said he'd be back in a second and walked through the house on tiptoes to get the only pack of cards they had. Everyone else was asleep, thankfully. Stelly was asleep as well, so he wasn't there to wreck anything for him.

When he came back, both boys were jumping on the bed, though for some reason Ace looked bored doing it. Sabo laughed, and they jumped down and Luffy ran over. Sabo sat on the floor, and his new friends did as well. Sabo taught them many card games before Sabo started to fall asleep. "I'm sorry guys, I'm falling asleep," Sabo said with a huge yawn.

"Okay. Then we'll see you soon," Ace said, and grabbed a pouting Luffy, hauling him up. Sabo stood up, feeling worry as they climbed back out onto the roof and got out of sight, footsteps barely heard before they faded.

Ace and Luffy were weird, but Sabo liked them so far. He'd never met anyone like them before. He was so glad he went out today. He put the cards back in the box and then flopped onto the bed, out like a light only a few seconds later.

-x-

Sabo spent the next day doing work and studying all day. Well, if daydreaming was considered studying. He got the visible work done, but barely read anything. He was too distracted, wondering what his new friends were doing now. After breakfast, Stelly tried taunting Sabo again, and he only got through it by imagining Ace punching Stelly as Luffy watched and picked his nose.

When he laughed at Stelly being a jerk, he seemed thoroughly offended. Sabo felt superior now, having friends where Stelly did not. He was kept inside so much he didn't get to make friends. Plus, he was attached at the hip to Mother and only went out when she did. Sabo left more often.

Father usually ignored Sabo, but he was fine with that. Sabo really didn't have much to do in his life at home. He didn't get to read any books he was actually interested in. Playing cards with Ace and Luffy had been pleasant, and he was glad he knew some card games.

The blonde got extra work done that day so he could go out the next and see his friends again. He felt like he clicked with them immediately, and not just because their eating habits were the same. Well, when he wasn't being a noble. When he was just a normal boy in fancy clothes. The day passed slowly, and Sabo hated it.

When bedtime came, after a dinner that was once again Stelly's favorite, he kept the window open, but his friends didn't come. Sabo couldn't help but be disappointed by this. But he'd see them tomorrow morning. He tried his best to fall asleep as fast as possible, but he couldn't turn his thoughts off. At least they were nice thoughts. Maybe he could go shopping with them tomorrow, buy them some better clothes or nice shoes. Surely being barefoot like that wasn't comfortable. He would gladly buy them things they couldn't afford, since they had so little money and lived in edge town.

He left as early as he could, before Stelly woke up. He raided the kitchen for his own breakfast and then left, money in his pocket. He headed to the park, running there in excitement. But the two weren't there. Sabo waited, scared that they were standing him up, until he saw both of them running from edge town, both barefoot.

"Sabo!" Luffy cheered, and jumped him with a hug. Sabo didn't remember the last time he was hugged, but Ace grabbed his shirt scruff and yanked him back.

"Personal space, Luffy," Ace scolded, and Luffy just laughed happily. He sure was a bubbly kid. They were barefoot again and in the same clothes as the day before. They must be really poor, and Sabo was glad their vastly different classes didn't stop them from being friends.

Sabo got straight to the point, and said, "I have some shopping money with me if you guys want to get some more clothes and maybe some shoes." Luffy looked at what he was wearing, a confused face on that Ace mirrored.

"What's wrong with these?" Luffy asked cluelessly.

The noble replied, "Nothing, but having more might be nice. Then you don't have to wash them so often. And shoes must feel better than being barefoot. You don't have to if you don't want to. It was just an offer."

Ace and Luffy shared a look that Sabo couldn't decipher, and said, "Okay." Shopping with them was strange. Luffy did not like variety and asked to get three of the same shirt, a red t-shirt. Ace got some tank tops, and both wore shorts. It wasn't much different than what they'd been wearing before, but they were clean and fit snugger.

Luffy got flip-flops and Ace got boots. They were looking much cleaner now, even if both of their hairs were wild. Though not like they were filthy, more like they were wild naturally. Definitely different from any nobles. They all had perfectly groomed hair.

They went to the park, sitting on the grass again like before. Luffy sighed. "It's boring here," he lamented. Sabo was shocked when Ace shouted, "Luffy!" in a sharp voice. Like he was scolding him. Luffy pouted, but didn't mention it again.

"Hey, hey, do you know what pirates are?" Luffy asked, swinging wildly from his previous topic. Sabo nodded, of course he knew what pirates were. "I wanna be a pirate. Then you can do fun things, and go places. This island is boring." Sabo thought it strange that Ace did not scold him that time.

Sabo thought for a moment. He'd never considered being a pirate. It would get him off the island and free from this life, but he was unsure about going against the marines and government. "I guess it could be fun. You'd have to fight a lot of enemies."

Luffy grinned. "I'll be stronger by then!" he said loudly, and flung his arms open and flopped down on the grass, giggling. Sabo smiled at him, and turned to Ace and asked him if he wanted to be a pirate as well. Ace shrugged. That was all Sabo got as an answer. Ace was definitely the more crabby one of the two. They were like two sides of a spectrum. Ace the grouchy, serious one and Luffy the bubbly, goofy one. They balanced each other, though their opposite personalities sometimes clashed and that's why they fought a lot.

"I guess being a pirate could be fun. Would you want to be the captain?" Sabo wondered curiously. Luffy exclaimed that of course he would be. Then he stated that Ace could be his first mate, and Ace predictably did not like that.

He huffed. "Like I'd ever be under a crybaby like you," he said. Sabo wondered if it bothered Luffy that Ace was so grumpy and hostile. But Luffy seemed perfectly used to it. He didn't get upset, which Sabo thought was pretty neat. Luffy was tolerant, while Ace had a temper. Sabo was learning more and more about them. But he had some questions.

"So you two live in edge town?" They both nodded. "Do you have parents?" They both shook their heads. Sabo now assumed they could be homeless, and it made him sad. He wished he could help them out, besides buying food and clothes. That he could give them a place to live.

Luffy switched topics, like he was prone to doing, and asked if Sabo ever wanted to venture out of the wall. Sabo looked baffled. "And be eaten by dragons?"

Ace commented, "Not all places are swarming with dragons, you know. This island just has a shit ton of them. Probably because of all the caves in the mountain. If you could get off this island, would you?" Sabo didn't ask how he knew that there were caves in the mountain. Not even Sabo knew that. Very little was known about the outside of the city since no one could exactly go and explore when there were so many beasts to have to pass.

But Sabo didn't mention his thoughts. "I don't like my life here as a noble, so getting out of here sounds like a pretty good idea." Luffy sent a look at Ace that Sabo couldn't decipher. "Maybe someday I'll leave. Maybe not to be a pirate, maybe to just go have a different life somewhere else."

"We should do it! When we're bigger we should go be free together," Luffy said excitedly. Sabo was surprised that he wanted to be long term friends after just a couple days of knowing each other. He felt he had found true friends, even if they were both a little weird. He liked Luffy and Ace. they were real, not fake like everyone in high town. Like everyone who surrounded him. He wanted to be free.

Before now, he'd never thought about the fact that, just because he couldn't be free on this island due to the dragons, didn't mean he couldn't be free on some other island. Far from here. He could leave now, though. He was only ten. He'd have to wait patiently until he was old enough to live on his own. Well, Sabo was sure he could live on his own but knew no one would take him seriously if he lived on his own as a child.

"That sounds like a great idea. But we're too young to do it. You know, nobles supposedly come of age when they turn 18. So we should leave when I'm 17. At the latest," he amended. Luffy pouted, and Ace made a hum noise.

"Stuck here for seven more years, huh?" he asked in a monotone voice as he looked at the sky. "I can wait. Don't know if Luffy can, though. He's pretty impatient." Luffy giggled and rolled around like the child he was.

The youngest rolled on top of Ace, who grabbed him and threw him a few feet to the side, where Luffy landed on his butt with a thud. That set off another wrestling match between both black haired boys, while Sabo laughed happily. He hadn't been this happy in a long time. And he could get used to the feeling, and didn't want to have it taken away.

-x-

Ace and Luffy made it a regular habit to visit Sabo's room at night, and the blonde always wondered how they did it. How they snuck all the way through high town, because he just couldn't see how they climbed the huge wall. When he asked, they just said they climbed the wall. He wished he could watch them.

Sabo grew to love both of them like brothers, so much more than stupid Stelly. When Sabo told them about his adopted brother, Ace promised he'd beat him up for him some day. "Promise, when he's unsuspecting," Ace swore, and Luffy giggled, saying Ace wouldn't go easy. And that Ace might eat him.

The older freckled child had punched Luffy. "I'm not a cannibal!" he had hissed, since it was late at night and they were in his room. "Where would you even get that idea? You know what, don't answer," Ace said. Luffy rolled onto his back and giggled helplessly.

After that, after a few moments of comfortable silence, Ace had turned to Sabo, with a sad look on. Sabo wondered why, but then Ace said, "I'm really sorry you don't like your family. And that you hate it here." Sabo wasn't expecting something heartfelt coming from the usually cranky Ace. Luffy nodded his head in agreement.

"They're a bad family. I don't like them, even if we've never met them," Luffy said sourly. Sabo nodded, feeling down as well, though he was glad he had people who sympathized with him. If he ever complained about his problems to someone else, depending on who they were, he'd get hate or disinterest. Hate mostly from someone who thought Sabo had a great life by being a noble, even though he'd rather be dirt poor with people who loved him.

Sabo lost the sad look and smiled at them reassuringly. "Don't worry, they aren't my family, you guys are." He couldn't help but say it. It had been two weeks since he met them and they started spending the nights with him, and Sabo treasured them greatly. Luffy giggled and Ace was flustered.

"We should be brothers," Ace suggested. "At least in name. If that Stelly gets to call you brother but you aren't related, why can't we?" Luffy nodded in vehement agreement, nodding so fast that Sabo was sure he'd get sick if he did that.

"How do we be brothers?" the youngest asked curiously. Sabo and Ace shrugged, before Ace said, "We'll just say we are. No one else knows us, so who cares? No one but Sabo's family can dispute our claim."

Sabo chuckled, and wiped his eyes before any tears could form. He loved the concept of them being his brothers, not Stelly. Sabo was about to say something when the alarm started to blare and a loud roar sounded. It had been only two weeks since the last time, and Ace and Luffy's faces went white. They both crawled under Sabo's bed, shaking. Sabo wondered why they were so scared. Ace especially.

But he closed the window and the shudders, before saying he had to go to the basement or it'd look suspicious. "Just… stay under there," Sabo said and ran out of his room. Stelly was crying quietly, like the last time. Father and Mother both looked pissed. It was very late at night and they'd been awoken by the alarm. They headed to the basement, and Sabo was worried about his brothers. If a dragon crashed into the house, they could be in real danger.

But no crushing sounds were made, which everyone was thankful for. It lasted half an hour before the all clear was made, and Sabo ran back to his room, locking the door behind him and finding Ace and Luffy sitting on the bed, no longer looking terrified. "We should go," Ace said, and Sabo frowned, wishing they could stay. It was comforting to be around them. He was sure sleeping in the same room would make him feel better. Wouldn't feel so alone in his big, empty room.

"Okay, I'll see you when I see you," Sabo said with a small smile. "Brothers." Ace and Luffy beamed, and just barely got out of the window before there was a knock on the bedroom door. Sabo gasped and then sighed, so glad they had left at that moment.

Sabo opened the bedroom door to see Father there. "Who were you talking to?" he asked sharply. Sabo made a confused face. It looked genuine. He asked what his father meant. "I heard you speaking." Sabo formed a lie easily, saying he was telling himself the dragon was gone and he didn't need to be worried. Father looked at the open window before storming over and closing it tightly.

He left without saying goodnight, not that Sabo thought he would in the first place. He walked to his bed and laid down, burrowing under the covers. He hoped no one ever caught Ace and Luffy being his friends. Ace was strong, but against guns and swords, he would fall. No matter how much Luffy bragged about Ace being strong, Sabo could never truly understand just what Ace did to instill that belief in Luffy.

-x-

Sabo couldn't find his brothers the next day, and they didn't visit him at night, making him incredibly worried. Did something happen to them? Were they caught sneaking out of high town? What happened to them? Please, let them be okay.

After two days, he found them again. They came to his window and Sabo saw the state Ace was in. He had what looked like bite marks on his arm. Luffy had a black eye. Sabo hurried to them, looking horrified. "What happened to you?" he asked in shock. The bite on Ace's arm was not a human bite, of course, but much bigger.

Ace looked to the side and Luffy said, "We got in a fight." He sounded sad and embarrassed. Sabo never knew edge town was so bad. He knew the more ruffian-like citizens lived there, but they beat up two kids? Maybe Ace challenged them. It seemed like it would be something he'd do. He was overconfident. At least, in Sabo's opinion, not that he'd ever voice it. Ace might get mad and he didn't want to wound the freckled boy's pride.

"Are you okay?" Luffy nodded and Ace huffed.

"We're not dead, so we're fine," the older child said. He was embarrassed, clearly, by the red in his cheeks. Ace rarely got embarrassed, so this was a bit new to Sabo. He asked who they'd gotten in a fight with. Humans don't make huge bite marks like what Ace's arm was.

Luffy said, "A bad guy and his dog." But his voice wavered, and Sabo could not help but think he was being lied to. Why would they lie about it? Sabo felt hurt, but said nothing of it. He loved them and trusted them, but knew virtually nothing of their backgrounds. Just that they were close and had known each other for a long time. He said nothing of his suspicion. It would change nothing to pry and they get mad at him.

Ace said, "Don't worry, Sabo, we're fine." Sabo nodded, and Luffy asked for them to play some cards. Sabo gladly got the deck of cards and they played a very quiet game of BS. There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, most likely Mother. Sabo stood up and shared frantic looks with his brothers, who silently and nimbly climbed back out the window, though Sabo didn't hear their footsteps so they were still on the roof.

Sabo opened the bedroom door. "Were you talking to someone, sweetheart?" Mother asked in a sickly sweet voice. Sabo knew what she was doing. Sometimes, if she wanted something, she'd pretend to love him. He shook his head, never going to reveal his brothers. He knew Father would do something bad to them. And they could never find out that Luffy and Ace had convinced him life would be better _not here._ And that they had already set a plan to leave before Sabo turned 18.

"Just myself," Sabo said. Mother looked suspicious, and looked past him and into the room. Sabo grew afraid of her seeing the cards, but when she glared at him and left, he found that the cards were gone, and found them under the bed. He let out a breath of relief. Ace and Luffy did not come back that night, to Sabo's appreciation. They were smart, even if Luffy was a dumb kid a lot of the time. Ace was smart, so he knew not to come yet. They would probably stay away for a few nights.

The boy went to bed wondering what on earth had bit Ace's arm. It looked way too big and deep for a dog, and there weren't any wild animals in Goa Kingdom. The only place he could have gotten an animal bite like that was outside the walls. And that just wasn't possible, so he shoved that thought away. No one survived outside the walls. And like he knew, Ace wasn't stupid.

-x-

When Sabo snuck away the next day, he easily knew someone was following him. Knowing this, he immediately turned a corner and then sprinted, easily losing the guy. He ran out of high town and to the town center before heading for edge town to find Luffy and Ace, since they lived there. He had never gone to see them, but they didn't have a plan to meet up and he thought he'd find them himself.

Most people ignored him, but a few thugs noticed his attire, and ganged up on him. He knew he was going to edge town, so he was prepared, and handed them some money. It was easier to just give it to them and leave as they fought amongst themselves. But he couldn't find his brothers anywhere.

He finally just started wandering around looking for them, calling their names, but couldn't find them. Until he reached the dumpster that was shoved in front of the crack, and saw two small people cramming their way inside. His eyes widened when he found his brothers entering the kingdom _from the outside._

Luffy got out of the crack first, and Ace kicked him through the rest of the way, then entering himself. Sabo was too shocked to move or say anything. He didn't even frantically look around to see if anyone saw his brothers. Ace noticed him first. "Shit." Luffy's head jerked up, and he wore a frightened frown.

"Wh… why were you outside? How…?" Sabo asked breathlessly. Ace and Luffy shared a look, but neither spoke. "Please tell me. We're brothers," the noble reminded them. Their faces softened, but they still looked wary and worried. Worried about what Sabo would think of their answer.

Ace finally answered. "We live out there." Sabo couldn't process what he said, but Luffy was nodding.

Sabo finally got over his shock, and could think clearly. "But… the dragons? They kill everyone that goes out. No one comes back." Ace looked away, and Luffy was wringing his hands nervously. Sabo felt bad for making his brother look like that. Ace snapped that he didn't want to talk about it, earning a punch from Luffy.

"Sabo's our brother, don't be mean to him!" Luffy shouted angrily, more angry than Sabo'd ever seen him. Ace looked reproachful, but didn't fight him, looking like he was agreeing. Ace apologized to Sabo, looking away and very sad.

"You… you don't have to tell me right now. But will you tell me someday?" Sabo asked in a small voice. Luffy walked over and hugged him. But Ace agreed, nodding his head slowly. Sabo heard him mutter that he wasn't ready to tell him their history. The noble wondered if they'd been abandoned and that's why they lived out there. But that didn't answer how they went undetected to all of the dragons that swarmed the forest and mountain.

But Sabo wouldn't push them, even though he hurt that they didn't trust to tell him. Luffy, ever observant of his brothers' emotions, said, "We don't not trust you. We don't want you to hate us." Sabo was shocked, not knowing why they would ever think he hated them.

"I could never hate you. You're my precious brothers. I love you both," Sabo said. Ace's eyes widened for some reason, but he looked away like he was in pain. Emotional pain. Sabo needed them to understand he'd never judge them because they lived outside of the walls. But he couldn't just say that, he had to show it.

Sabo worried that him catching them like this would make things awkward or even worse, turn them away from him. Sabo couldn't lose them, the only people who'd ever showed him love or fondness. "Do you want to go get ramen?" he offered. Ace and Luffy nodded, though they both had a more subdued aura.

They went to their regular ramen shop and Sabo got them in by using the crest again. Eating made things less tense, and they each had ten bowls. When they got outside, Luffy threw up some of his, but not all of it. Sabo patted his back while Ace laughed, getting in a physical fight with Luffy, who launched himself at his older brother.

"Get off me, you have vomit on your mouth!" Ace shouted, kicking Luffy away, who wiped his mouth with his shirt, something that would horrify any nobles Sabo knew. He could see why they fought more, if they lived outside the walls and weren't used to acting like civil people.

"Alright, break it up. Ace, it wasn't nice to laugh at him and Luffy, you don't need to attack him," Sabo said. He often broke up their more ridiculous fights.

Ace shot back, "You're not our mother, Sabo." Though he wore a smirk when Sabo blushed, and Luffy and Ace started laughing, Sabo joining in, too, unable to help himself. They walked to the park, Luffy clinging to Sabo's back, while Ace told Luffy he was acting like a baby. Luffy stuck his tongue out at him. They sat in their usual spot, laying on the grass. It was lucky the park was usually crowded, so they weren't easily spotted by anyone Sabo wouldn't want seeing them.

Everyone he knew that a noble rarely left high town, since there was any form of dirt in the town center. And heaven forbid, edge town. What would they think if they knew Ace and Luffy lived somewhere outside the walls? Maybe they'd think the two had a disease. They'd chase them out with pitchforks. No one could know that they didn't live in any part of the kingdom.

Sabo found himself wondering what the outside was like, and couldn't help but ask. It wasn't a loaded question. He wanted to know what outside was like. He had a unique opportunity to learn about the outside by something other than a biased book. Ace looked wary, but didn't stop Luffy from replying.

"We live in a treehouse. We have to hunt our own food to eat, though. There are a lot of big and small animals out there to eat," Luffy said simply. Sabo asked more questions, and they had a conversation about the world outside of what Sabo knew, and he wished he could go out with them. But he just wasn't brave enough. What if he messed up and brought a dragon's attention to them and got all three of them killed? He didn't ask about the dragons once.

Ace was clearly in a much better mood by the end of the day. "Do you want us to come over tonight?" Ace questioned. Usually, the two came when they wanted to. Sabo felt Ace might doubt that Sabo accepted that they lived outside the walls and also wouldn't give out much information about why they lived there or how they stayed away from the dragons.

"Of course! I love having you guys over. Ace, nothing's changed other than my curiosity has had a spike. You're still my brothers, even if you live in the forest and don't want to talk about it much," Sabo replied honestly, wearing a truly genuine and reassuring smile. Ace's eyes widened and he had a soft smile.

"Ace is gonna cry~" Luffy teased, and Ace shot at him, getting into a wrestle, like usual. Sabo laughed in entertainment. That was the kind of healthy sibling teasing, unlike the cruelty of Stelly. They wandered around for a long time, going to the market so Luffy could have some candy. Sabo paid for everything, and now knew why they had no money. They didn't live anywhere that demanded currency.

Luffy and Ace happily ate cotton candy at sunset before Sabo remembered he had to be back for dinner. He said goodbye and ran off back to high town. His heart was beating quickly, uncomfortably. He was going to be in trouble, he hadn't done any studying that day. When he arrived at home, Stelly was there, smirking at him. Sabo wanted to hit him, but refrained.

They both walked to dinner, Sabo feeling Stelly's gaze on his back. Sabo sat at his seat at the dinner table, with both of his parents staring at him in disapproval. He said nothing and made no eye contact. Finally, Father spoke. "Where have you been going, Sabo? You haven't been doing your work." Sabo felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his neck.

"I needed some fresh air. I'll spend all day on it tomorrow." None of them mentioned that the parents had someone follow Sabo when he left the house. It was easy to notice him and get away.

"That is what you should be spending all your time on anyways, Sabo," Father said in a cold voice. Sabo frowned, wondering if it would be better to brave the dragons and elements to be free than live in physical comfort and safety while being trapped. Sabo didn't reply, and ate silently.

When he got back to his room, he locked the door and opened the window. Right on time, Ace and Luffy crawled inside, Luffy beaming. He had a fruit in his pocket and pulled it out. "We eat this out there a lot. It's yummy, you should try it," the youngest said brightly. Sabo went to reach for it before the bedroom door was kicked open, and there a guard and Father stood.

Ace and Luffy both growled, something Sabo had never heard them do to anyone. "F-Father!" Sabo shouted, fearful that his brothers would be harmed. He stormed in and commended the other two children to leave or he would throw them out the window. Sabo didn't want them hurt, so he begged them to leave, now.

"But, Sabo-" Luffy protested.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" he asked frantically as guards lifted their weapons. Ace grabbed Luffy and dragged him out, though he looked very upset as well. They both left, and Father slammed the window shut so hard it rattled the frame. Sabo backed up to the bed and sat down.

"Who are they?" the noble demanded. Sabo kept his mouth shut. He would not give any information about them. They were precious, and even if Sabo were to suffer, it'd be so much worse to know he would hurt his brothers by giving out any information.

When Sabo didn't respond, Father said, "You will not be leaving this house anymore." Sabo was horrified. He wouldn't be able to see Ace and Luffy, and it definitely wasn't safe for them to visit at night anymore. Sabo would not be surprised if Father had them shot. "And you will not be seeing those two pieces of trash again. I'll make sure of it."

Sabo went to bed in tears that night, and when he woke up and saw bars on his windows, he fell apart again, crying into his pillows. He needed to see his brothers. He couldn't be apart from them like this. He needed them! They made everything bearable! The neglect his family showed, the mean things Stelly did and said. Ace and Luffy made everything easier.

He didn't get to see Ace and Luffy for three days before he ended up punching Stelly in the face. But, he couldn't help it when Stelly taunted about the intruders probably being dead by now. "Father asked guards to look out for them. You'll never see them again," and Sabo had decked him in the face.

"Shut the fuck up!" he roared. Stelly started crying and ran away to tell on him. Sabo couldn't care less. He slammed open the front door, but there were guards on the other side that he couldn't get past. He was shoved back inside, and ran to his room. But the bars were on the outside of his windows. He couldn't even open them anymore to get fresh air. He was truly trapped.

Two days later, late at night while Sabo laid awake in bed, miserable and feeling hopeless, there was a crunching noise on the roof. It was too heavy for Ace or Luffy, and he didn't even get up. When another thud was made, a heavy noise, Sabo got up to approach the window and see if he could see anything.

Then, a large, clawed, black hand gripped the bars and ripped them off easily, pulling out the window and some of the wall. The window was thrown to the ground, and Sabo screamed as a dragon the size of his bathroom crawled through the damaged wall. He was horrified even more when a smaller blue one crawled in next to the larger one.

Sabo screamed and ran for the door before he heard, "Don't run! We're here to save you." He whipped around to see Luffy standing next to the other dragon. Sabo was too shocked to say anything and Ace transformed out of the black dragon.

"Come with us," Ace commanded. The commotion had caused everyone in the house to run up the stairs. Sabo took a step towards them, going to go with them. Living outside the walls with his brothers was better than being trapped here. His brain hadn't processed that they were both dragons yet. But when the door was slammed open, in an instant, his brothers were gone and the dragons were back, who growled at the nobles.

None of them voiced concern for Sabo. Stelly wailed, and Ace lit the room on fire, a wall of fire between Sabo and his biological family. Sabo walked forward on shaky legs, and climbed onto Ace's back as he lumbered out of the room, through the massive hole in the wall and ceiling. Luffy climbed out after him, and Ace lit the house on fire for good measure.

The two dragons jumped off of the roof and flew over the city, where alarms were blaring. Sabo was holding on for dear life as the city grew smaller. Ace landed in a huge tree, and Luffy landed next. Sabo, on shaking knees, got down and stepped into the treehouse Ace and Luffy lived in. it was nice for a tree house. Nothing like his old home, which he didn't give a shit about.

Luffy hugged Sabo while Ace changed back to human form. Sabo hugged Luffy back tightly.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you. I'm sorry I burned your house down if you want to go back," Ace said, fear in his voice. Sabo hugged him, too.

Sabo said, in a strong voice, "I am never going back. That was my house, you are my home." Sabo froze in fear when he saw dragons below the treehouse and landing on branches in the nearby trees.

"He's with us. No one is hurting him," Ace said in a stern voice. The dragons exchanged looks, eyebridges raised, but many left. Some smaller ones sniffed him before Luffy growled, and then they flew off with squacks.

Sabo collapsed onto the mat that was his brothers' bed. It was nice, not as nice as his bed, but that life was over now. He couldn't go back now. And Ace and Luffy couldn't go back. Not that they had a reason to anymore, with Sabo not inside the walls anymore. "So… do the dragons really kill the humans that come through?" he asked in a scared and small voice.

Luffy beamed. "Nope! Hey, hey, you know, we weren't always dragons," the youngest said. Sabo looked confused, and asked what he meant. "If you exchange blood with a dragon, you can turn into one, too!"

Ace nodded. "We were full humans, once. That was a couple years ago, though we've never lived inside the walls." Sabo's jaw fell open. Did that mean all of the people who everyone thought died from the dragons were actually now dragons, themselves? It was unthinkable. It was like they were vampires, able to turn another human into one of them. Ace smirked.

"Interested?" he asked. Sabo bit his lip, before nodding, and Luffy giggled.

"You'll make a cool dragon, Sabo!"

**Regular readers know I love dragon stories, so here's another one! There is a possible part 2, but I'm not sure yet so don't get your hopes up.**


End file.
